This invention relates, in part, to newly identified polynucleotides and polypeptides; variants and derivatives of the polynucleotides and polypeptides; processes for making the polynucleotides and the polypeptides, and their variants and derivatives; agonists and antagonists of the polypeptides; and uses of the polynucleotides, polypeptides, variants, derivatives, agonists and antagonists. In particular, in these and in other regards, the invention relates to polynucleotides and polypeptides of human tumor necrosis factor delta and epsilon, sometimes hereinafter referred to as xe2x80x9cTNF deltaxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cTNF epsilonxe2x80x9d.
Human tumor necrosis factors xcex1 (TNF-xcex1) and xcex2 (TNF-xcex2 or lymphotoxin) are related members of a broad class of polypeptide mediators, which includes the interferons, interleukins and growth factors, collectively called cytokines (Beutler, B. and Cerami, A., Annu. Rev. Immunol., 7:625-655, 1989).
Tumor necrosis factor (TNF-xcex1 and TNF-xcex2) was originally discovered as a result of its anti-tumor activity, however, now it is recognized as a pleiotropic cytokine capable of numerous biological activities including apoptosis of some transformed cell lines, mediation of cell activation and proliferation and also as playing important roles in immune regulation and inflammation.
To date, there are nine known members of the TNF-ligand superfamily, TNF-xcex1, TNF-xcex2 (lymphotoxin-xcex1), LT-xcex2, OX40L, FASL, CD30L, CD27L, CD40L and 4-1BBL. The ligands of the TNF ligand superfamily are acidic, TNF-like molecules with approximately 20% sequence homology in the extracellular domains (range, 12%-36%) and exist mainly as membrane-bound forms with the biologically active form being a trimeric/multimeric complex. Soluble forms of the TNF ligand superfamily have only been identified so far for TNF, LTxcex1, and FASL (for a general review, see Gruss, H. and Dower, S. K., Blood, 85 (12):3378-3404 (1995)), which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
These proteins are involved in regulation of cell proliferation, activation, and differentiation, including control of cell survival or death by apoptosis or cytotoxicity (Armitage, R. J., Curr. Opin. Immunol., 6:407 (1994) and Smith, C. A., Cell, 75:959 1994).
TNF is produced by a number of cell types, including monocytes, fibroblasts, T cells, natural killer (NK) cells and predominately by activated macrophages. TNF-xcex1 has been reported to have a role in the rapid necrosis of tumors, immunostimulation, autoimmune disease, graft rejection, resistance to parasites, producing an anti-viral response, septic shock, growth regulation, vascular endothelium effects and metabolic effects. TNF-xcex1 also triggers endothelial cells to secrete various factors, including PAF-1, IL-1, GM-CSF and IL-6 to promote cell proliferation. In addition, TNF-xcex1 up-regulates various cell adhesion molecules such as E-Selectin, ICAM-1 and VCAM-1.
The first step in the induction of the various cellular responses mediated by the members of the TNF ligand superfamily is their binding to specific cell surface receptors. The TNF receptor superfamily contains at present ten known membrane proteins and several viral open reading frames encoding TNFR-related molecules. The p75 low-affinity Nerve Growth Factor (NG)F receptor was the first cloned receptor of this family (Johnson, D. et al. Cell, 47:545 (1986). Subsequently, cloning of two specific receptors for TNF show that they were related to the NGF receptor (Loetscher, H. et al., Cell, 61:351 (1990)). In recent years, a new type I-transmembrane TNF receptor superfamily has been established. This family includes the p75 nerve growth factor receptor, p60 TNFR-I, p80 TNFR-II, TNFR-RP/TNFR-III, CD27, CD30, CD40, 4-1BB, OX40 and FAS/APO-1. In addition, several viral open reading frames encoding soluble TNF receptors have been identified, such as SFV-T2 in Shope fibroma virus (Smith, C. A. et al., Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun., 176:335, 1991) and Va53 or SaIF19R in vaccinia virus (Howard, S. T., Virology, 180:633, 1991). These receptors are characterized by multiple cysteine-rich domains in the extracellular (amino-terminal) domain, which have been shown to be involved in ligand binding. The average homology in the cysteine-rich extracellular region between the human family members are in the range of 25 to 30%.
Clearly, there is a need for factors that regulate activation, and differentiation of normal and abnormal cells. There is a need, therefore, for identification and characterization of such factors that modulate activation and differentiation of cells, both normally and in disease states. In particular, there is a need to isolate and characterize additional TNF ligands akin to members of the TNF ligand super-family that control apoptosis of transformed cell lines, mediate cell activation and proliferation and are functionally linked as primary mediators of immune regulation and inflammatory response, and, among other things, can play a role in preventing, ameliorating or correcting dysfunctions or diseases.
Toward these ends, and others, it is an object of the present invention to provide novel polypeptides, referred to as novel TNF delta and TNF epsilon which have been putatively identified as being tumor necrosis factor ligands by homology between the amino acid sequence set out in FIGS. 1 and 2 and known amino acid sequences of other proteins in the tumor necrosis factor family such as human TNFxcex1 and TNFxcex2.
The polypeptides of the present invention have been identified as a novel members of the TNF ligand super-family based on structural and biological similarities.
It is a further object of the invention, moreover, to provide polynucleotides that encode TNF delta and TNF epsilon, particularly polynucleotides that encode the polypeptide herein designated TNF delta and TNF epsilon.
In a particularly preferred embodiment of this aspect of the invention the polynucleotides comprise the region encoding human TNF delta and TNF epsilon in the sequences set out in FIGS. 1 and 2.
In accordance with this aspect of the invention there are provided isolated nucleic acid molecules encoding human TNF delta, including mRNAs, cDNAs, genomic DNAs and, in further embodiments of this aspect of the invention, biologically, diagnostically, clinically or therapeutically useful variants, analogs or derivatives thereof, or fragments thereof, including fragments of the variants, analogs and derivatives.
Among the particularly preferred embodiments of this aspect of the invention are naturally occurring allelic variants of human TNF delta and TNF epsilon.
In accordance with this aspect of the present invention there are provided isolated nucleic acid molecules encoding a mature human TNF delta polypeptide expressed by the human cDNA contained in ATCC Deposit No. 97377 deposited on Dec. 8, 1995 and a mature human TNF epsilon polypeptide expressed by the human cDNA contained in ATCC Deposit No. 97457 deposited on Mar. 1, 1996.
It also is an object of the invention to provide TNF delta polypeptides, particularly human TNF delta and TNF epsilon polypeptides, that destroy some transformed cell lines, mediate cell activation and proliferation and are functionally linked as primary mediators of immune regulation and inflammatory response.
In accordance with this aspect of the invention there are provided novel polypeptides of human origin referred to herein as TNF delta and TNF epsilon as well as biologically, diagnostically or therapeutically useful fragments, variants and derivatives thereof, variants and derivatives of the fragments, and analogs of the foregoing.
Among the particularly preferred embodiments of this aspect of the invention are variants of human TNF delta and TNF epsilon encoded by naturally occurring alleles of the human TNF delta and TNF epsilon gene.
It is another object of the invention to provide a process for producing the aforementioned polypeptides, polypeptide fragments, variants and derivatives, fragments of the variants and derivatives, and analogs of the foregoing. In a preferred embodiment of this aspect of the invention there are provided methods for producing the aforementioned TNF delta and TNF epsilon polypeptides comprising culturing host cells having expressibly incorporated therein an exogenously-derived human TNF delta-encoding polynucleotide and TNF epsilon-encoding polynucleotide under conditions for expression of human TNF delta and TNF epsilon in the host and then recovering the expressed polypeptide.
In accordance with another object the invention there are provided products, compositions, processes and methods that utilize the aforementioned polypeptides and polynucleotides for research, biological, clinical and therapeutic purposes, inter alia.
In accordance with certain preferred embodiments of this aspect of the invention, there are provided products, compositions and methods, inter alia, for, among other things: assessing TNF delta and TNF epsilon expression in cells by determining TNF delta and TNF epsilon polypeptides or TNF delta-encoding mRNA or TNF epsilon-encoding mRNA polypeptides; assaying genetic variation and aberrations, such as defects, in TNF delta and TNF epsilon genes; and administering a TNF delta or TNF epsilon polypeptide or polynucleotide to an organism to augment TNF delta or TNF epsilon function or remediate TNF delta or TNF epsilon dysfunction.
In accordance with certain preferred embodiments of this and other aspects of the invention there are provided polynucleotides and in particular probes that hybridize to human TNF delta or TNF epsilon sequences.
In certain additional preferred embodiments of this aspect of the invention there are provided antibodies against TNF delta or TNF epsilon polypeptides. In certain particularly preferred embodiments in this regard, the antibodies are highly selective for human TNF delta or TNF epsilon.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there are provided TNF delta or TNF epsilon agonists. Among preferred agonists are molecules that mimic TNF delta or TNF epsilon, that bind to TNF delta-binding molecules or receptor molecules or to TNF epsilon-binding molecules or receptor molecules, and that elicit or augment TNF delta-induced or TNF epsilon-induced responses. Also among preferred agonists are molecules that interact with TNF delta and TNF epsilon or TNF delta and TNF epsilon polypeptides, or with other modulators of TNF delta activities, and thereby potentiate or augment an effect of TNF delta and TNF epsilon or more than one effect of TNF delta and TNF epsilon.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, there are provided TNF delta and TNF epsilon antagonists. Among preferred antagonists are those which mimic TNF delta and TNF epsilon so as to bind to TNF delta and TNF epsilon receptors or binding molecules but not elicit a TNF delta- and TNF epsilon-induced response or more than one TNF delta- and TNF epsilon-induced response. Also among preferred antagonists are molecules that bind to or interact with TNF delta and TNF epsilon so as to inhibit an effect of TNF delta and TNF epsilon or more than one effect of TNF delta and TNF epsilon or which prevent expression of TNF delta and TNF epsilon.
The agonists and antagonists may be used to mimic, augment or inhibit the action of TNF delta and TNF epsilon polypeptides. They may be used, for instance, to prevent septic shock, inflammation, cerebral malaria, activation of the HIV virus, graft-host rejection, bone resorption, rheumatoid arthritis and cachexia.
In a further aspect of the invention there are provided compositions comprising a TNF delta and TNF epsilon polynucleotide or a TNF delta and TNF epsilon polypeptide for administration to cells in vitro, to cells ex vivo and to cells in vivo, or to a multicellular organism. In certain particularly preferred embodiments of this aspect of the invention, the compositions comprise a TNF delta and TNF epsilon polynucleotide for expression of a TNF delta and TNF epsilon polypeptide in a host organism for treatment of disease. Particularly preferred in this regard is expression in a human patient for treatment of a dysfunction associated with aberrant endogenous activity of TNF delta and TNF epsilon.
Other objects, features, advantages and aspects of the present invention will become apparent to those of skill from the following description. It should be understood, however, that the following description and the specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only. Various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the disclosed invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from reading the following description and from reading the other parts of the present disclosure.